Platts, Johnson offer microcosm of national health care debate

Did Mr. Johnson read the bill in its entirety? I doubt it, just as I doubt most lawmakers did.
What about fines of up to 250K and jail time if you don't sign up? A health czar who deems what is appropriate? What would that person's qualifications be? What about special education for minorities? What about tort reform?(Nary a word about that one!) All this stuff is in the House bill. 2000 pages of garbage by a legislative body that refused to consider single pay. A legislative body that has refused to answer e mails, phone calls and faxes. And in many cases, avoided open town hall meetings.
It is patently clear that Washington cares only about Washington and those who fill their pockets with cash...and, guess what? It it isn't from Tom, Dick or Harry or Joe the Plumber.
I hope this House version is totally rejected by the Senate. But more importantly, I hope people with computer and internet access download the bill and read it in its entirety...Then, they will see how stupid this legislation is and how costly it will be for citizens for years to come.

Putting poor people in jail because they can't afford insurance? So lets let rapists and child molestors out on good behavior to make room for them. This is just another ploy to fill our jails with innocent people, but from the Democrats!

I urge you to seek out the idiots that voted for this heinous, anti American bill. If they are one of you local leaders, find out, and campaign to get them OUT of office. They do not deserve your vote in any future election.

I watched a considerable portion of the debate Saturday on C-Span and there are definitely portions of the House plan that was passed that give me concern.

The overall cost of the plan and things like mandating coverage cause me to want the Dems to pull back a little bit and I do think the Senate will end up doing that as they negotiate their version of the bill.

But shame on the Republicans for waiting until the day of the debate to put a concrete plan on paper. Until Boehner brought the Republican alternative to the floor Saturday afternoon, I was under the assumption that republicans were satisfied with the status quo.

And the fact of the matter is access and affordability of our health care system does need to be reformed. Competition in the health insurance industry needs to be increased. The Dems may be overreaching here, but at least they're addressing the issue.

Typical of Platts. If anyone didn't read the bill it was Rep Platts. If we could do better with a different bill, where is Rep Platts, and for that matter Nixon Republican (Pres Nixon want health care oh, what was it, 40 years ago?) with a workable plan.

First, you have to have universal participation (note, not "coverage") that requires everyone to have insurance. Universal coverage means I can wait until I am deathly ill and sign up for higher coverage. We have universal partipation for worker's comp for all employees, which is a Federal program. We fine companies and individuals who don't particpate.

Second, the brutal truth is that 1/7th of the economy isn't health care. 1/10th is health care, the other portion is a combination of health insurance administration expenses and bonuses. All things considered, I'd rather keep that portion in my pocket or at least pay it to the person taking care of me, not some nameless insurance exec who has developed the latest technique for denying my claim.

According the to US Courts web site, Bankruptcies are up 31% for 2008 at over 1 million. Business Week reports that 62% are because of health care bills. 600K less bankruptcies is anti-american?

Meh?

GM & Chrysler went bankrupt at least in part due to heath benefits they agreed to pay.(I don't exuse the fact they were very poorly run - the guy that ran Home Depot into the ground was in charge of Chrysler when it went under.) But the point is, the U.S. can't compete against companies who's workers are taken care of in systems of universal participation - whether it is single provider (U.K.), single payer (Canada) or private insurance (EU). Why is CAT not in York anymore and creating a ton of jobs in China?

Clearly, the free market isn't working and I am reluctant to leave it to "market forces" when the idots in charge of the "markets" just drove our economy off a cliff.

Is it a bad bill? Maybe, but come up with SOMETHING better. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Let's see If Johnson Is still smiling next November
when the pay back comes for these socialist (__*__)
led by Harry Reid.

I was anti-Muslim Obammy before It was cool.

I wonder why Todd is concerned so much with $100 billion per year estimated for health care which will result in healthier Americans... but not concerned with the $180 billion budgeted JUST THIS PAST YEAR for wars of futility which result in death and destruction and a host of returning veterans' health problems that will clog the US health system for the next 50 years with $trillions in costs.

HMMM....
$100 billion annually to generate healthier Americans?
OR $180 billion in 2008 alone to burden and $trillions more to care for our own war victims?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It's a no brainer to those without any economics education or any sense of the principles America was founded on. How much is enough? Why don't we start giving out free food from Weis to generate healthier Americans. Where does it end?

Sure, the war needs to wind down, but we don't need to sink all that war money into entitlements for people unable to succeed in America. Stop blaming other people and get your own house in order before you come to me looking for a handout.

Who's blaming anyone for anything? Who said anything about entitlements? I merely made an observation with a legitimate comparison.

What is wrong with you? Go join my son in Iraq if you want the war so bad. He's been over twice. What about you?

it's this kind of mentality that keeps human beings in the stone age.

First, thank you for your son's service.

Second, my comments were only partly addressed to you

I did in fact fight in that war you are talking about. I was there before the surge and fought and won many battles and arrested/killed many bad people. We also made infrastructure improvements and worked to establish peace and security in the area we patrolled. The price was high: 3 good men dead and 10 men wounded. I've been plucked out of my civilian career twice to deploy overseas. So to answer your question, yes I did fight in that war and I know what its like to lead a company in battle and lose men.

I am not a war monger and I like I said before, the wars need to wind down for many reasons to include the human and monetary cost. No soldier wants war.

If you would like to know why the health care bill that was passed is horrendous, I would be more than happy to educate you in a civil way and share what I learned in grad school and in subsequent years.